Transcript of Evening Wire: Marty Makary Resigns & Venezuela the 51st State? | 5.12.26 New

Pete Hegseth sounds the alarm over a Cuban threat to national security. Maha favorite Marty Makary resigns from the FDA, and President Trump moves beyond Canada and teases making Venezuela the 51st state. I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howell. It's Tuesday, May 12th. This is Evening Wire.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary is reportedly resigning today after weeks of mounting political pressure and internal clashes within the Trump administration. This follows reports that Trump had already signed off on a plan to remove him. McCary had drawn criticisms from Republicans, anti-abortion groups, and even the Wall Street Journal editorial board over several controversial FDA decisions, including disputes over flavored vapes, abortion pill reviews, and high-profile drug approvals. Reuters reports FDA Deputy Commissioner Kyle Diamantas is expected to serve as acting commissioner.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said today that the Cuban regime poses a national security threat to the U.S. DataWire reporter Kassia Kiva has the details.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared that the Cuban regime poses a national security threat during a House hearing on the administration's proposed 2027 defense budget. Pressed by Florida Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart on Cuba's history of hostility toward America and its growing ties to U.S. adversaries, Hegseth answered bluntly, "I do," when asked whether Havana represents a threat to U.S. national security. The congressman also referenced the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue incident when Cuban fighter jets shot down two American civilian aircraft in international airspace and questioned Hegseth about repeated visits by Russian spy ships and the nuclear-powered submarine Kazan to Cuba's ports. Hegseth confirmed the Russian presence, underscoring mounting concerns inside the Trump administration over Cuba's increasingly close alignment with Russia, China, and Iran.

The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for Alabama to use a new GOP-drawn congressional map ahead of midterms. Daily Wire contributor Tim Pearce has more.

The justices voted 6 to 3 to throw out a lower court order that had blocked a map drawn by lawmakers in 2023. The lower court had said that the map with one majority Black congressional district had violated the Voting Rights Act. Monday's ruling brings a 5-year legal saga one step closer to an end. It is also a key victory for Republicans in a national tit-for-tat redistricting fight that has played out in state capitals across the country.

Two top Chinese officials have been sentenced to death after they were convicted earlier this month on corruption charges. Daily Wire reporter Zach Chul has more.

The punishments are some of the most severe so far in President Xi's anti-corruption campaign that has consumed Beijing's elite. The two former defense ministers have been sentenced to death with a 2-year reprieve after a military court found one guilty of accepting bribes and the other guilty of accepting and offering bribes. Both men were also stripped of all political rights and personal property. It is common for delayed death sentences like theirs to turn into life imprisonment if the convicted do not commit any more crimes.

Elon Musk has joined a group of CEOs who will accompany President Trump on his trip to China to meet with President Xi Jinping. Musk will join more than a dozen other CEOs and executives on the trip, including Apple's Tim Cook and BlackRock's Larry Fink, among others. Nvidia, Caterpillar, Microsoft, Nike, and other companies with large Chinese interests were absent from the list, and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on how they'd determined which CEOs to invite. Trump, Musk, and other CEOs will arrive in China on Wednesday evening and depart Friday.

A trans-identifying non-binary migrant without legal right to work in the UK has just been elected as a new member of the Scottish Parliament. Daily Wire investigative reporter Meg Brock reports.

An Indian transgender Green Party candidate without a permanent visa has been elected to the Scottish Parliament.

My name is Dr. Q Manivanan. I am a transgender Tamil immigrant. My pronouns are they/them, and this is what diversity looks like in power.

Q Manivanan, 29, was pleading with voters as recently as last week to help him raise money for a temporary student visa. A law recently passed in Scotland allows anyone with legal residency of any kind to run for office, not just UK citizens. Manavanan's visa is temporary and does not permit working outside his academic institution. Despite this, Manavanan has now been elected to Parliament. Manavanan's qualifications include a degree in poetry, having published scholarly articles including "Queering Masculinities in Protests." Manavanan's chief policy proposal has been the introduction of a government-funded income for unemployed artists.

President Trump may try to make Venezuela and its massive oil reserves part of the United States. Daily Wire assistant editor Nathan Gay has more.

The president floated the idea in a call with Fox News' John Roberts, who said Trump is, quote, seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state. Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, pushed back on Monday, saying that joining the U.S., quote, would never have even been considered, and that Venezuelans, quote, Love our independence process. Rodriguez has worked with the Trump administration since the US took former strongman Nicolas Maduro from Caracas in early January.

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2 Miami police sergeants have filed a federal lawsuit against Artists Equity. That's the production company founded by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Daily Wire Entertainment reporter Amanda Harding has the details.

The sergeants alleged that the 2026 Netflix film The Rip defamed them by falsely portraying them as corrupt officers. The suit argues the movie borrowed heavily from their real-life role in a 2016 Miami-Dade narcotics case that resulted in a record $22 million cash seizure. Using specific details like money hidden behind a false wall and orange buckets while inventing a plot in which officers steal drug money and cover up a murder. Though the film does not name the officers, Sergeants Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana say the similarities were obvious enough to damage their reputations and trigger backlash from prosecutors and colleagues. They're seeking more than $75,000 in damages for defamation and emotional distress and either a more pointed disclaimer at the beginning of the film or an end to its distribution. The filmmakers maintain the movie is fictionalized and already includes a disclaimer stating the characters are not real people.

A prolific abuser who weaponized his religious authority and preached nudity is unity to children has been sentenced. Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham has the details.

A Texas judge sentenced Daniel Zavala, a 70-year-old former Christian missionary who's accused of sexually abusing boys under the guise of ministry, to 30 years in prison. Effectively a life sentence, it came after he pleaded to continuous trafficking of persons. Prosecutors said Zavala used a backyard sauna at his home as a pretext to get boys and young men naked, preaching that, quote, nudity is unity, before abusing them. In at least one case, Zavala did this in front of a parent who now faces charges of his own. Chi Alpha Campus Ministries and the Assemblies of God have faced scrutiny over Zavala's longtime access to minors through association with their institutions, with lawsuits alleging church leaders failed to act despite earlier warnings and a prior child sex abuse conviction in Alaska. Prosecutors said the sentence ensures Zavala, quote, will never see the light of day again.

Southern California's formerly pristine beaches are being tainted by sewage from Mexico. Daily Wire immigration reporter Jenny Ter has a story.

Ritzy areas such as Coronado Beach increasingly feature warnings to beachgoers and tourists that water contact may cause illness, while trash, clothing, and other debris are often seen in the ocean. The contaminants float up the coast from nearby Tijuana, just over the border in Mexico. Tijuana's population has more than doubled in recent decades, while its sewer infrastructure has failed to keep pace. That has resulted in as much as 30 million gallons a day in raw sewage spewing into the Pacific Ocean. Officials have estimated that the problem would cost roughly $1 billion to fix.

Ozempic and Wegovy pills are even easier to get now and fast. Daily Wire reporter Lauren Baer has the details.

Americans can now get oral versions of GLP-1s Ozempic and Wegovy through Amazon same-day delivery. Amazon Pharmacy rolled out the new service last week, making the once-daily pills available to those with a prescription through same-day delivery or for pickup at an Amazon Pharmacy kiosk. The service will be available in nearly 3,000 cities almost immediately and is scheduled to expand to nearly 4,500 by the end of the year. The new service comes as GLP-1s, originally created to treat diabetes, have surged in popularity in recent years for their effectiveness at causing weight loss.

The UK's Department of Work and Pensions just increased benefits for those in polygamous marriages. The DWP confirmed that people in intimate relationships of 3 or more will receive a 4.8% boost in benefits over last month. It's unclear how big an impact this change will have because polygamous marriage is illegal and not officially even tracked in the UK. But researchers with the House of Commons Library have reported that the practice does pop up, typically through religious ceremonies. Some estimates have put the total at 20,000 polygamous marriages in the UK's Muslim community.

A new Costco food court option is drawing mixed reactions online. Daily Wire Costco correspondent Nick Sheehan has the details.

Just days after Morning Wire reported on the change to the hot dog combo, Costco is beginning the rollout of a new item: chicken tenders. While tenders have been available at some international locations, this will be a first for the US market. While many, including myself, are eagerly awaiting the tender's arrival, others have noted that in the test markets, Tenders have apparently replaced another beloved offering, the calzone. Others have also noted that the 5-piece meal for $6.99 weighs in at 1,640 calories. If your town already has tenders, let us know what you think, and Morning Wire will stay apprised of future reviews as the rollout continues.

And Ralph Lauren is marking America's 250th birthday with a new patriotic project. The first-ever official United States Postal Service stamp collection curated by an individual designer. The American Icons series features 13 images handpicked from Lorenz's archives, including his iconic American flag sweater, Jackie Robinson's glove, wild horses, a classic pickup truck, and the Empire State Building, meant to capture what he calls, quote, "the enduring spirit of America." The stamps will debut on June 9th at a dedicated ceremony at James A. Farley Post Office Building, alongside a limited edition Ralph Lauren capsule collection featuring apparel inspired by the designs.

All right, those are your drive home updates. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And in case you missed it earlier today, we covered some major stories including passengers from the Hauntavirus cruise ship entering the US, President Trump pushing Congress to suspend the federal gas tax, and growing outrage against California's billionaire tax. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.